Younger Students and Those Who Typically Abstain at High Risk for Dangerous Binge Drinking During Spring Break
Thousands of college-age students look forward to spring for one major reason – spring break. Unfortunately for many, that week away from school involves extreme alcohol consumption and the dangerous consequences of binge drinking. The risks may be even higher for younger college students, such as freshmen, says a study.
Experts fear spring break may especially stand out in terms of college-aged risky behavior because it can lure many freshman or sophomore students into binge drinking. Not only is the behavior illegal, these students may be even more prone to the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Each year, around 1,700 students in college will lose their lives from alcohol abuse and thousands will endure alcohol-related experiences like sexual assault or violence.
One study looked at spring break drinking patterns among students who were freshmen at colleges. Prior to spring break, using surveys administered on the Internet, the participants answered questions about their typical alcohol intake and were classified as “heavy” drinkers because they noted at least one episode of excessive drinking in the past 30 days.
The students were then asked again about their typical drinking patterns, including questions about how many alcoholic beverages they had as an average over the past 90 days. This set of survey questions was administered in the seven days following the students’ spring break.
Questions were also included about the negative effects of consuming alcohol during their Spring break. Consequences for binge drinking can include a higher likelihood of alcohol poisoning, death from over-consumption of alcohol, driving under the influence or dangerous activities that result in serious injury. During spring break, this can include operating water-based equipment with the impaired judgment of alcohol. Sexual assault is also another consequence linked to binge drinking, as is depression and other mental health problems.
Overall, nearly two-thirds (70 percent) of the freshmen in the study reported consuming alcohol during their break, with a typical consumption level of more than 15 drinks during a ten-day span. During the survey, the students who didn’t typically consume high amounts of alcohol reported dangerous or negative outcomes from alcohol more often than those who were accustomed to drinking larger amounts of alcohol throughout the year.
One researcher on the behavior, Scott Walters, Ph.D., a University of Texas School of Public Health professor based at the Dallas Regional Campus, said that students may drink as much as three-times higher levels of alcohol during spring break. Even those who don’t normally consume alcohol are more likely to consume drinks during this time of the year.
To help combat dangerous binge drinking among college students, Walters developed the e-CHUG tool, meaning an electronic Check-Up to Go. The tool evolved from Walters’ research and has been implemented in nearly all 50 states and at least 300 colleges. The tool is both a Web survey and alcohol education tool that encourages people to drink less alcohol based on personal data they enter about their drinking behaviors and associated risks.
Tools like e-CHUG, along with enhanced efforts toward alcohol education across college campuses, could help draw more attention nationwide to the dangerous trend of spring break binge drinking.
